astronomy paper
University of Phoenix Material
Basics of Astronomy Worksheet
Complete the table based on the readings for this week: Ch. 1–4 of The Essential Cosmic Perspective.
Term or concept
Definition and explanation
The Universe
1. What is Earth’s Sun, and what is its role in the solar system?
2. What is the Milky Way galaxy and the sun’s position in it?
3. What is the Big Bang, and what does it say about the age of the universe?
4. What is meant by the phase “looking out in the universe is looking back in time?”
1. The earth’s sun is a star, it generates heat and light through nuclear fusion.
2. The Milky Way galaxy is the constellation that earth belongs to, the sun is just another star within it.
3. The big bang is the beginning of the universe, approximately 14 billion years old.
4. By looking out into space you are seeing things as they were at the point light is traveling and hitting it. It is measured in light years, for example if it takes 3 light years for things to show, then it would make whatever is being seen as 3 years old.
Location in the Universe
5. What is Earth’s place in the solar system?
6. How close are the nearest stars to the Sun as compared to the distance between the Sun and the Earth?
7. How large is the Milky Way galaxy?
8. How many stars are estimated to exist in this galaxy?
9. How old is the earth compared to the universe itself?
5. Earth place is 3rd closest to the sun in the solar system.
6. The nearest star is 8 light years away. An example used was California from D.C, whereas the sun and earth are only 4” apart.
7. On a scale the Milky Way is approx. the size of a football field and the nearest star is 4mm away.
8. Comparable to the number of grains of dry sand on all the beaches on the planet.
9. A few seconds.
Motion in the Universe
10. How fast does the Earth move around the Sun? Compare that to fast things in day-to-day life.
11. How is the Sun moving in the galaxy?
12. How are the
Basics of Astronomy Worksheet
Complete the table based on the readings for this week: Ch. 1–4 of The Essential Cosmic Perspective.
Term or concept
Definition and explanation
The Universe
1. What is Earth’s Sun, and what is its role in the solar system?
2. What is the Milky Way galaxy and the sun’s position in it?
3. What is the Big Bang, and what does it say about the age of the universe?
4. What is meant by the phase “looking out in the universe is looking back in time?”
1. The earth’s sun is a star, it generates heat and light through nuclear fusion.
2. The Milky Way galaxy is the constellation that earth belongs to, the sun is just another star within it.
3. The big bang is the beginning of the universe, approximately 14 billion years old.
4. By looking out into space you are seeing things as they were at the point light is traveling and hitting it. It is measured in light years, for example if it takes 3 light years for things to show, then it would make whatever is being seen as 3 years old.
Location in the Universe
5. What is Earth’s place in the solar system?
6. How close are the nearest stars to the Sun as compared to the distance between the Sun and the Earth?
7. How large is the Milky Way galaxy?
8. How many stars are estimated to exist in this galaxy?
9. How old is the earth compared to the universe itself?
5. Earth place is 3rd closest to the sun in the solar system.
6. The nearest star is 8 light years away. An example used was California from D.C, whereas the sun and earth are only 4” apart.
7. On a scale the Milky Way is approx. the size of a football field and the nearest star is 4mm away.
8. Comparable to the number of grains of dry sand on all the beaches on the planet.
9. A few seconds.
Motion in the Universe
10. How fast does the Earth move around the Sun? Compare that to fast things in day-to-day life.
11. How is the Sun moving in the galaxy?
12. How are the